The seventh of the 8 Laws of Health is… REST. In our hectic society rest is not something we usually get
enough of. Aside from sleep (which most are deprived of anyway), we don’t even think of regular rest as a
necessary activity.
Yes, an activity which we must plan for. If we
over-do, our body will unequivocally tell us there’s no choice in the matter
for a spell! Isn’t it wonderfully relaxing to sit before the warm glow of a
fire on a cold day sipping a hot beverage, maybe reading a favorite book? Or
outside on a summer day listening to the birds sing with a glass of iced herbal
tea in hand? Regularly allowing time to engage
in rest will help a person keep healthy!
The same applies to our dogs. Although they may get more rest
than they is good for them because of their family’s busy lifestyle, here I am
specifically thinking of resting the digestive system. Believe it or not, digestion
for any being is the hardest work it does. The
canine carnivore has the wonderful ability to gently detoxify when allowed to rest from digestion. We may
Naturally Rear our dogs and live in a rural setting, but there are many
negative influences we have no control over – various air pollutants,
radiation, EMF’s, etc. – and these are increased many-fold for those living in
urban areas.
How does one give their dog a break from digestion? As
usual, take a lesson from their wild cousins. They do not eat every single day.
When a large kill is made they eat to their hearts content for a few days and
then nothing while hunting for the next meal. A wolf sanctuary in western
Washington practices a fasting time with their resident carnivores. For us at
home this is accomplished by giving a
Fast Day once each week.
Some dogs may seem too hungry for a complete Fast, or their
active lifestyle may burn a lot of calories. So on Fast Days we give whole raw
eggs with raw milk, or just one of those items. In any case, when we first put this into practice we saw
some interesting results - their coats became shinier and there was less
gunk in the corner of their eyes. Rather
than suppress the elimination of toxins, we want to support the body’s innate
healing ability.
Take a rest from the
‘noise’ of modern appliances and electronics. These can interfere with
biorhythms and the ability to get deep rest. Some people and animals are highly
sensitive to them, experiencing any number of health issues that seriously
affect quality of life.
One caution: cats
are “obligate” carnivores which in part means they need to eat meat every day,
so do not fast your cat. It could lead to organ damage.
We hope you will experiment with offering a Fast Day to see how resting the digestive system may
help your dog!
